In short: Karagoda is a low-grown tea estate in Sri Lanka's Southern Province, operating at 34 metres above sea level and recorded as supplying Finlays.
Karagoda is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an elevation of 34 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, a prominent name in the global tea trade. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in available records.
Terroir & Climate
At 34 metres above sea level, Karagoda sits firmly within Sri Lanka's low-grown tea zone, where estates typically benefit from warmer temperatures and faster growth cycles than their mid- or high-elevation counterparts. The Southern Province's proximity to the equator and coastal influences generally contribute to a humid, consistent climate with less pronounced seasonal variation in temperature, conditions that tend to favour vigorous vegetative growth year-round.
Low-grown estates in this latitude range often experience relatively high rainfall and warm ambient conditions, factors that typically encourage rapid leaf development and continuous cropping. These environmental conditions generally yield teas with a different profile to those grown at altitude, where slower maturation and cooler nights are the norm.
Tea Produced
Karagoda produces black tea, the dominant category across Sri Lanka's low-grown regions. Teas from estates at this elevation in the Southern Province typically offer a robust, full-bodied cup with good strength and colour, characteristics that tend to make them well-suited to blending. The warmer growing conditions generally result in bolder, more assertive flavour profiles compared to the delicate, nuanced character often associated with high-grown Ceylon teas.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Karagoda is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea company with a significant presence across sourcing, blending, and distribution in global markets. This connection suggests that the estate's output is likely channelled into commercial supply chains serving major branded and private-label tea buyers, a common route for low-grown Sri Lankan production valued for consistency and blending strength.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Karagoda lies at 6.1032, 80.3784 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 34 m elevation is the joint 77th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Moraketiya — under 1 km away
- Naindawa — 3.1 km away
- Uduella — 4.8 km away
- Muswenna — 4.9 km away
- Ruhunuputha — 5.2 km away
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Karagoda
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Karagoda (34 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Karagoda recorded 3,022 mm in 2025, 37% more than the 2,200 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.
| Estate | Where | Elevation | Rain 2025 | Mean high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Group, Katandola | Southern Province, Sri Lanka | 34 m | 3,319 mm | 30.0 °C |
| Hafiz Tea Estate | Moulvibazar, Bangladesh | 33 m | 3,547 mm | 29.9 °C |
| Hunan Tea Group, Corporate | Hunan, China | 35 m | 1,348 mm | 24.8 °C |
| Shimen Liziping Tea Professional Cooperative (Shimen Liziping) | Xiangcha High-Tech Industrial Park Xiangcha, China | 35 m | 1,348 mm | 24.8 °C |
| Zealong Tea Estate Ltd | 495 Gordonton Road, New Zealand | 33 m | 1,438 mm | 19.2 °C |
Karagoda Compared with Southern Province
In Southern Province, Karagoda is wetter than 50% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 59% of the others by elevation; warmer than 62% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Karagoda against the 133 other estates we map in Southern Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | Karagoda | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 34 m | 49 m | 6 to 806 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 3,022 mm | 3,022 mm | 2,210 to 3,589 mm |
| Mean daily high | 29.9 °C | 29.8 °C | 25.9 to 30.5 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.7 °C | 22.6 °C | 18.2 to 24.1 °C |
Observed Climate at Karagoda (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Karagoda’s coordinates recorded 3,022 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (513 mm) and the driest was February (81 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.9 °C and overnight lows 22.7 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 3,022 mm |
| Wettest month | November (513 mm) |
| Driest month | February (81 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 29.9 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 22.7 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Karagoda located?
Karagoda is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.1032, 80.3784, at an elevation of about 34 metres.
What type of tea does Karagoda produce?
Karagoda is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Karagoda supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Karagoda as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does Karagoda receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,022 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (513 mm).
How does Karagoda compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Karagoda recorded 3,022 mm in 2025, 37% more rain than the 2,200 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.
Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].